The Sun. — London, England, 1818-12-28 00:00:00

LITERARY REVIEW. -.... frw.-, The HISTORY of FICTION•; being a Critical Account of the most celebrated Prose Works of Fiction, from the ear liest Greek Romances to the Novels of the present age.— By JOHN DUNLOP, in 3 Volumes. Second Edition. This Work, if duly 'appreciated, would be classed among tire rt.ost• attractive novelties of , the season. Unfortunately its title, though strict ly appropriate,_ holds forth very little piomise of entertainment ; and hence it seems to recommend itself rather to the Bibliographer, and to the di lettante in scarce lore, than to the readers of fiction in t G er,l. For this reason it is liable to be passed ever, particularly by the Ladies, as a very clever book no doubt, but likely to prove exceed ingly dull and dry. The _mo s t vivacious of these fair critics, however, would find reason to dis miss such a prejudice after a five winutes' exa minaCon, and wouhl be agreeably surprised to find in this unassuming \\roils, a inn(' of narrative, anecdote, and lively remark, adapt , d either to beguile a !head ache throogh a whole winter's even ing, or dissipate the ennui of au undisposeable balf-hour. It has a fair claim to be designated by the commendatory motto of Cervantes, 4 . un te.soro de content°, y one mina de pasaliompes." To juvenile student , , who are performing their noviciate litera!ure, it is a very useful and instinctive b.ok of reference. As its plan comprehends a succinct history and 'Abstract of di prose works, of fict ion, Ito in the call eS t Greek Romances to the Novels of the ',resent age, it affords the means of elucidatini many passages in otir best poets, which teem With allusions to the Roinances of chivalry. When the curiosity of youthful ruind; is roused by the mention of Arthtir, and his Knights of the Round '1 able, of Charle magne and his - Peers, of Amadis, Pahnerin, and Tirante, it may be readily satisfied by the accounts given in this compendium, of their marvellous history and achievements. The sources are here disclosed from which _Chaucer,. Spenser, and Nikon, enriched their fancy and fertilized their invention ; the foundations may here be traced on whi c h have been constructed many of the best dramas of our, immortal Shakspeare. Nor is it of trifling. importance to add, that in investigating . the exceptionable ground occupied by the Italian oovelisos, Ilr, Dunlop has proceeded with adinir ' able judgment and caution, and that he has aIIR- Zed the works of Boccaccio and BandellO, in such a manner as not to offend the purest de licacy, or taint in its bloom the innocence of yo tit From a garden so profusely and variously stored, it is an emharrassin;.: task to select an a.dklnate oaring of literary flowe;s and fruits. For the present, the following passage, illustrative of the usages and rules of chivalry, may be cited for the amost meta of our holiday circles "The chstle in which the cani!idate for Loighthond received his education, Was usually thronged with young persons of a different sex. The intercourse which he thus enjoyed was the best school for the refinements of courtesy : he was taught to select some lady as the mistress of his soul, to whom were re fctred all his sentiments and actions. lice image was im planted in his heart, amid the fairy scenes of childhood, and was afterwards blended with its recollections. In the middle ages. Society was in an intermediate state, removed from the extremes of indigence and luxury, which is most favourable to lOve : and that passion was sometimes so nourished by ob: stacies, that it Was exalted into.a species of devotion. " Thus the service of a mistress because the future glory and occupation of the candidate for knighthood. At the same time that thk duty was inculcated, the emulation of military excellence was excited bythe example of his compeers and his patron. When the youth passed to the condition of squire, they attended their master abroad; if he engaged in tattle they took no part in the rencounter, but remained spectators of the combat, and, by attention to the various motements, were instructed in the art of war. "Their time was also, its a great measure, devoted to those sports which were kindred to the occupations of war, and the knowledge of which was an essential preliminary to reception into the order of knighthood. " If that investiture be merely considered as a ceremony, by which young persons destined to the military profession veceived their arias, its institution, we are told, is as ancient • as the age of Charlemagne; but, if' considered as a dignity, wl)ich, by certain forums, conferred the first rank in the mili tary order, it cannot easily be traced higher than the 11 lb century. In the forests of Germany, the initiation of a youth into the profession of a warrior, had been attended with ap propriate ceremonies. The chieftain of the tribe decorated him with a sword and armour ;—a simple forum, which, in the • progress of the feudal system, was converted into a mysterious mid pompous rite. " On his reception into this order, the knight became bound to the observance of loyalty to his sup e ri or , t o an im pal tial distribution o f justi ce to his vassals, to inviolable adherence to his word, and attention to a courtesy which em bellished his other qualities, and softened his other duties.— All those who were unjustly oppressed, or conceived them selves to be so, were entitled to claim his protection and suc cour. The ladies in this respect enjoyed the most ample pri vileges. Destitute of the means of support, and exposed to the outrages of avarice or passion, they were consigned to his special care, and pla ce d un d er t h e guar d s hi p of his va liant arm, " The promotion of knights, which sometimes took place after the pertormanee of military exploits, but more ft - cep - mealy • out chore!' festivals, cotonations, baptisms, or the conclusion of peace, was generally followed by jousts and tournaments. Of these institutions (which were of French invention, and were introduced about the time of the first crusade), the former was of a more private and inferior,the latter of a more pompous and public description. loth were contrived for the purpose of interesting the esind, when scenes of real war fare did not present themselves, and of displaying, at the same time, the magnificence of the Prince or• Baton. " Some time before time exhibition of a tournament, He ralds were dispatched through ,the country, to invite all Knights to contend for prizes, and merit the affection of their mist resses• " After the toarnaments were proclaimed, they frequently commeeced with skit mishing between the squires; and those who particularly distinguished themselves were allowed to enter the lists with the knights. ‘Vhen it Caine to the turn of the latter, each knight usually declared himself the servant . of some Lady, who generally presented him with a token of favour,A veil, a scurf, a bracelet, oe, as we arc t o ld by Chau cer in his story of Troilus, a pence! of her sleeve, with which he adorned his shield or helmet, and by means of which his person was recognized in all time vehemence of the conflict. If these marks of distinction were carried off during the con test, the Lady sent him others to reanimate his courage, and ' invigorate his exertions. " In all these rencountets certain rules of combat were es tablished, which it was considered infamous to violate. Thus, it was not lawful to wound an adversary's horse, nor to Strike a knight who took his visor or his helmet. When the tournaments were concluded, the conquerors were conducted, with much solemity, to time palace of the prince or baron, where they were attired in the most splen did habits of peace, and disarmed by the hands of the fair; their deeds were inscribed on the records of the heralds at arms, and farmed the subjtct of the lays of time minstrel, which were spread through the neighbouxing courts, to excite einu- Lltion or envy." LONDON JOUrtNALS. FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY. plorging Chronicle.] We . mentioned, a few days ago, the "receipt 'of intelligence from Upper Canada, with an account of the trials of different persons accused by Lord Selkirk as principals and accessaries, in what was termed the murder of Governor Semple and his followers. Subsequent accounts have been re ceived of the trials of two of his Lordship's colo nists, accused of stealing cannon mounted on his forts, which have also terminated in the acquittal of the parties. There was Ito want of proof of the cannon having been seized by these persons, and having been delivered up to Mr. Cameron; npwards,ot 30 witnesses having proved the tact, who also acknowledged they were concerned in the affair with the prisoners. They further ad mitted their reason for disarming the fort was the threat made use of by Lord Selkirk', Governor, 111‘Donnell, to block up the Red River, and prevent them from leaving a country, their experience of which had in no degree answered the expectations they had been led to form of it, by the tepre sentations which had induced them to embark in tie speculation of settling this Colony. The Justice stated to the.Juiy, it was quite evi dent, front the'testimony adduced, that there was no felony in the case, as it also appeared in proof,. that the prisoners and the other persons acting with them had only caviled away the guns, leav ing the coinages, tackle, and . ammuniiion behind, which they would n d trot have one had their inten tion been to steal the property. The Jury im mediately returned a veraiet Of " Not Guilty," which was tollowed by an address of the Attor ney• General to. the Court, dechning to proceed in the case of conspiracy, which hid been made against the persons acquitted on the previous chat ges, as he could produce no evidence to es tahlrsli understand the result of the trials has been perfectly satisfactory to the Judges who presided, the Attorney-General who con d ucte d the proceedings, and to the public, which, after so tunny contradictory statements front the &tie rent patties, have now had an opportunity of de ciding upon the merits of the case between Lord Selkirk and his commercial rivals, by estahli ,led evidence, in a Court of Justice.—fife accusations of neason, minder, felony, and other climes, made by his Lordship against the gentlemen of the North-West Company, on which he arrested and treated them as the vilest criminals, and on which he justified the military seizure of all their property and papers at fort kVilliam, have there fore been found not justified by (what the , Judge, in his addreA to the Jury, emphatically called) even a "scintilla of evidence a 4 . ecting there."—lt remains to be seen whether his Lordship will be able to justify 'himself in as satisfactory a manlier for the charges made against himself, "and which it is said .t he North-West Company intend to give his Lordship a full and Lair opportunity of meeting; in the Cour s of Westminster 8011, his Lordship having returned to this conutry. The statements in some of the Public Papers, of the arrival of Lord C.CHRANE in the provinces of Venezuela, and his -taking the command of the in th pendent fleet iq that quarter, is altogether un founded. .Lord Cochrane sailed for Chili in the Rose, and some weeks ago we stated that this vessel had been spoken with near Cape Horn.— Lord C. must have arrived at Valparaiso about the end of November, and in all the ensiling month it was expected he would proceed with the naval forces of Chili, on an important expedition, for which great preparations had been made.— (Ibid.) ETON COLLEGE.— , We took occasion to notice the spirit of insubordination which some time ago broke out anion 4 the young Gentlemen at Eton College, and the severity to, which Dr. Keate, the head master, had recourse, in order to enforce the ,observance of those regulations which be had thought it expedient to adopt for the general ad vantage of the establishment under his supervi sion. The great cause of dissatisfaction among the scholars seems to have been the enforcement of a five o'clock absence instead of the ordinary absence at six o'clock, enacted bv former mas ters. The example which was made by the ex vision of young Geotlemen, whose prospects and progress in life must be in some measure affected by so disgraceful a circumstance, has bad its ef fect. But still there are those who, however stu diously they may 'have attended to the punctilious discharge of their several duties, and to the ob servance of the rules which Dr. Keate has laid down, have expressed dissatisfaction, and•liave left tug College for the holidays with feelings of resentment. Under all circumstances, it has been deemed necessary to dispatch the following Cir cular from Eton to the parents of the young Gen tlemen remaining in the establishment : (CIRCULAR.) Eton, December 20, 1818. • Sin-4 do myself the honour of writing to you at tht; re quest of Dr. Keate, who has been informed since thecom mencement of the holidays (though 'he has difficulty in be lieving the information) that a certain dissatisfaction still ex ists in the minds of souse boys, arising, as it appears, from a mistaken idea, that the five o'clock absence in the houses, which he was induced by the late unpleasant circumstances to impose, is intended to be enforced during all seasons of the year. Though lie lets an undoubted right to make any regu lations that he nosy think necessary for the good of the school, yet as he is anxious to avert flue ill consequences of insubor dination from any boys, who may be misled, he has no hesita tion in saying, that this absence was never intended to apply to all parts of the year. It was imposed as a punishment for gross misconduct, but not till after the boys had been warned by Dr. Keate of his intention, and had it in their power to avoid it by returning to a sense of their duty. They were informed tots, that when once imposed, there was little probability of its being ever taken off; that is, during the short days of the year, when it is dark about five o'clock. It is a regulation which would have been desirable under any circumstances, and one which has long - been wished for by tunny parenis,as it interferes with no lawful alllusementood destroys the opportunities of mischiet and immorality, which existed during the hour of darkness between five and six. It will be gradually removed by a quarter of an hour at a time, as tho days lengthen, and pat on again in the same manner next winter, like other absences, which vary according to the season of the year. I have stated this by Dr. Krate% desire, in order that you may have an opportunity, during the holidays, of relligeing false impressions from the mind of your son, if any exist, or of withdrawing him altogether; which Dr. K. strongly re commends, it you canhot answer fur his good conduct upon his retorts. I have the honour to be, Sir, your very obedient and faith rut servant, BENJAMIN ;JItURY [Morning Herdld.) We have received letters [roe, Batavia of so ate a date as the 20th of August. '1 hey a strange outrage committed by the Dutch All - et Palimbam, on the east coast of Su matra, which requires sonic explanation. Sir Thomas S. Rallies, the Lieutenant-Governor of Fort . Marlborough, on tir e western ' c o ast o f t h e Islaldeemed it expedient to send an embassy to some native Princes in the interior, the mem bers of which, having had occasion to pass through the kingdom of Palimbam, were seized by order of the Dutch Authorities, and made pri soners. As soon as information of this event reached the Governor, he dispatched a number of troops to Palimbam, to demand the restoration of the prisoners, and to obtain redress for the in sult which was offered. This unpleasant news had created considerable alarm at Batavia. These letters further state, that a malignant fever bad broken out among the native troops at Java, and tharit spread throughout the island. Numbers of European and American shipping were at Ba tavia, and found it difficult to get caraoes. The crews were suffering from the prevailing fever, and a few of the Commanders died,of it. THEATRICAL. REGISTER. Performed on Saturday Night. T;rATRE ROYAL, DRITRY-LANE.—George Barnwell : George Barnwell, Mr. H. Kernhie ; Mrs. W. Vest. Af ter which, H411,1111(1 and the Dandy Chill. TFfEATIIF. Rovar„ CovevT-GA turf:v.—George Barnwell George Barnwell, Mr. C. ficinble; Millwood, Mrs. Faucit• After which, Harlequin Munchausen. INsocENTs.—Holiday Pit the Bank, Excherinet, East India, and South Sca Houses, this day. MAILS. AR/tit/En-2 Dublin, 2 Waterford, I Guerneey and, Jcrsey, I Holland I Flanders, I France, I Lisbon. DUE-IWaterford: 1 Guernsey and Jersey, 2 Swedrii, 3 liana- burgh HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TOMORROW. Nt , roirig,lsl minutes after 3. Evening, 16 minutes after 4. THE SUN. ISOLEDI (LUIS DICERE FALSUM AUDEAT LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, We yesterday' received the Pdris Papers of Thurs►l:ay last. Those of Friday, which were due this morning, have not arrived. On Wednesday Grand Deputations from the two Chambers presented their Addresses to the KING. The Addresses are merely echoes of his M+►jes•ty's Speech ; but it is worthy of retnatk, that they d%vell emphatically upon the importance of maintaining the Charter, and that there is not a syllable in either of them that can he con strued into an intimation in favour of any change in the Election Law. The KING'S replies (the same in substance to both Deputations) are mere ly complimentary acknowledgments. The Cham ber of• Deputies had a Public Sitting on Wednes day, at which the Minister of Finance presenteJ a Projet for the provisional collection of six t weifths of the direct taxes for the service of 1819. The Projet was referred to the Bureaux, and the Chamber was to meet o❑ Saturday to receive the Report. The KING continued to recover. His Majesty presided on' Wedne?day at a Council of Mini sters, which sat for four hours. There are accounts fromi‘ladrid in these Jour nals of the 10th instant, but they merely give a detail of a Court tZte, and state, that the acconche ment of the QUEEN was momentarily expected. Two shocks of earthquakes were felt at Genoa, on the Bth and 9th inst. The last, which occur red at 8 o'clock in the evening, was very violent, and terminated with a slow movement from South to North. It was supposed at Genoa that a more formidable convulsion of the earth had taken place either in Sicily or Barbary. FIVE PER CENTS. Wednesday 62f. 40 e. DEFIIRRED STOCK. Of the 29c1 March, 1817,..... 22d Sept. 1817, 22 , 1 Mardi, ISIS, 72 f. —c. • 22d Sept. 1/318, EXCHANGE ON LONDON. One Mouth 23 f 30 c. Three Mouths ...23 f. t U e. According . to the accounts from Spain re cently received in France, that Country is in a very critical state, as we have before men tioned, from our own private information. It is well known that the Spaniards have always been vary loyal, and they conceive CHARLES'S abdication to have been an involuntary measure. They are not cordially attached to FERDINAND, whom they con• tier, in fact, as .an Usurper, but to whom they would be faithful, if be bad reached the Throne in regular succession. It is thought that he will he obliged to abdicate in his turn. Some \re ports assert that he has actually reached Bayonne, and is going to reside at St. Germain's, the, re treat of our JAMES 11. That -he will be induced to resign the Throne is deemed probakle, for it -is argued that no people, who have once tasted freedom, will ever submit to the, infamOus Inqui sition and the rule of a bigoted and criminal Priesthood. Yet such, marty of the leading people say, is the reward of the Patriots who sacrificed a:1 to preserwe their Country from-the usurpation of JOSEPH BLIONAPARTE. Matters are really conv• iug to a crisis with that country, Awl r e4 t:lt will most probably be highly favourable to the cause of the South American Revolters. Baltimore Papers to tue 36th ult. arrived this morning. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, No►. 26. The following Message was received from the President of the United States by J. J. MuNaos, his Secretary : " To the House of Representatives of the. United States, " 1 lay before the House of Representatives a Report from the Commissioner Of Public Build ings, made in compliance with a Resolution of the Senate of the 28th of January last, requiring a Statement of the Expenditures upon the Public Buildings, and an account of their progress, to be annually exhibited to Congress. . "Nov. 2G, 1813. (Signed) " JAMES MUNROE." (the Report from the Commissioner transmits to the President the followil.g Statement of Ex-. penditures during the la..t year, and two State ments from Mr. But.FtNcli and Mr. HosANT, of the Progress made in the Public Buildings during the present year) : Amount of Oisbursements made by Samuel Lane, Commis,. signer of Public Buildings, from the Ist October, 1817, an the Ist October, 1818. Dollars. Cts. On account of the Wings of the Capitol 204,349 87 Centre of the Capitol President's House .. Offices to President's House 1,273 •74 Graduating President's-square 3,442 19 Additional Executive Offices 59,521 41 ~.----- Contingent Expellees ~.... 3,571 Si Errors excepted 3-20,680 42 (Signed) SAMUEL LANE. Washington, November • The ATTORNEY-GRNERA4 of the Unitel States has come from Washington to assl.t in the pro• sedition of the persons who have been indicted for Privateeting. It is supposed the Trials will commence towards the close of the week, A deep . and solemn interest is felt in Baltimore on account of the persons implicated. The issue is portetr• tons. 'We say fiat Justitia ruat Cohn. The Treasury Report occupies two columns of the American Papers. The Revenue of 1816 was 37 millions of dollars ; and that' of 1817, with what remained in Treasury, 28 millions. The Revenue of 1818 estimated 28 millions. The Expenditure 26 millions, leaving the estimated balance in Tieasurry, Ist January, 1819, nearly two millions of dollars. The Public Debt, un redeemed in America, nearly a lintM•ed of dollars. lin,: Estimate of 1819 is stated nearly the same as ISIS, that if they are correctly given, the Residue in the Treasury at the close of 1819 will be nearly the same as in the preceding year, say two millions of dollars. The Baltimore Papers confirm our former State went of the,arrival of Lord COCHRANE ill Marge retta, and his having taken the summand of the Venezuelian Squadron; vice Admiral BRION, w ho had proceeded to head-Tiarters. CORNWALL —A Meeting is to be held on the 31 t instant, in consequence of a requisition of some of the most distinguished Characters of 60 County, for the purpose of considering of an Add dress to the PRINCE REGENT on the Death of her late MAJESTY. Saturday morning, soon after 11 o'clock, the Duke of Yogic rft York-house, St. James's P.“ lace, for Windsor, and afterwards proceeded to Oatlands, where he bad a party at dinner. The Duke and Duchess of CLARENCE are cc° pected in England in the month of February next. Letters have been received in town within these few days trom the Duke and Duchess of CAM' BRIDGE, at Hanover. Their Royal Highnesse 9 wete in the enjoyment of good health on the 9; l ' instant. The llo"yal Duke and Duchess were t°, spend their Chtistmas with the Landgrave CAEL, the father of the Duchess. The Gazette of Saturday repeats the notice frotri the Deputy Earl Marshal, that "it is not es' pected the Public should appear in mourning Ora the 29th instant (to-morrow), tot her late MA' JESTY." It will be seen in Satnrday night's Gazette, that the Duke of ‘VFI.LINGTON has been appoitilo Master-General of his Majesty's Ordnance. Saturday, at noon, Mts. BECKENDOEFF, 0 16 principal Dresser to the late QUEEN, and constan t attendant upon her afflicted Royal Mistress, dor' ing her long' and painful illness, arrived at the Queen's Palace in one of the late QUEEN'S car" riages, to remain there a short time. The Royal carriages ;Ind horses allowed an used by the 1 - :7,arl of ....ARCoURT, as Master of th e Horse to the late QUEFN, are to be sold by anc" lion with those of the late QUEEN. The coach . horses of her late MAJEsTY anionnt to sixty. Soul of the Royal carriages, appropriAted to the use 06 the Royal Attendants, ale of remarkably large size, well calculated to hold six pvrsons. Lord CASTLETIEAGIf, we are sorry to slater 19 indi,posed, at his house in St. .I.lmes's•square. Lady CASTLEREACII arrived' yesterday evening from North Cray, Kent. The Earl of LAttnEttpALß arrived on Fridei even nt WARREN's New Hotel, New -street, from the Continent. Yesterday his Lordship left toW° for Outlands, on a visit to the Duke of roux • The Duke of WELLINGTON, LordeAsTLEBEAGi t i and other distinguished pelsonagts, tw; tiers:cant!, join the Pavilion party, i n the cue rs' t his wet.l.— . (Brighion Paper.) l